I have been asked to do a 7 hour trial shift?

Mm1997

Hi just looking for some advice, I have been asked by a employer to attend a trial shift from 4pm until 11pm surely this isn’t right? As it is a full on shift and as it’s a trial I won’t be paid? I was just wondering if anyone has been asked the same and how to politely decline the hefty 7 hour shift I am disabled and I am getting back into the workforce after a 2 year break so a bit rusty with these situations! Thanks in advance

ReadingTim

1. have they said you won't be paid?
2. if you can't do a single trial shift, how are you going to do the job permanently?

Gavin83

You can decline but you almost certainly won’t get the job. That’s the choice you’ll need to make. It is your choice though.

Penguin_

We offer trial shifts here to see if people are suited to the work as it involves a fair bit of manual labour but we obviously pay for this.

JennyJukes

I did it for bar work before - it was a good couple hours unpaid and I didn't hear back. In hindsight (it was when I was 19?) it was probably for free labour.

Honestly, my opinion is if an employer asked me to do unpaid work then I would question how often they would ask for it in future (oh could you work an extra hour..?). If it's a case of you need a job and will do anything then go for it.

Smodlet

Penguin_ wrote: »

We offer trial shifts here to see if people are suited to the work as it involves a fair bit of manual labour but we obviously pay for this.

Why "obviously"? That is the issue. I loathe this ridiculous overuse of "obviously"; unless something is actually self-evident, it is obvious only to those who know it to be fact and, therefore, not obvious at all.

If it is paid and you decline, OP, the employer has no reason to give you a job. If, as I suspect in this godawful day and age, it is unpaid then why should you work for nothing unless to preserve your entitlement to benefits (if applicable)? What a world we live in.

getmore4less

Ask then decide.

It's a trial works both ways.

If it is clear they just want free labour you can walk out.

Depending on the work it should be clear if you are capable in less than a shift.

You can then work out if they are taking the mick.

ACG

I am not saying anyone should work for nothing nor that I even agree with the offer of an unpaid trial.
But investing 7 hours of your time to try and get back in to the working world does not seem like a bad investment. It is harder to get a job when you do not have one, so if this can help you get a job, it might help you get another job with a better employer.

I hate not working for anything more than a week or 2, so personally I would probably do it in the hope it helped me get a better job but if nothing else, just to get me out of the house.

theoretica

If it is a trial shift where you are working then minimum wage legislation applies and 'obviously' it should be paid. If however it is more shadowing, observation of the job combined with demonstration that you can lift this or do that then it might not be under the minimum wage legislation.

Brynsam

Mm1997 wrote: »

Hi just looking for some advice, I have been asked by a employer to attend a trial shift from 4pm until 11pm surely this isn’t right? As it is a full on shift and as it’s a trial I won’t be paid? I was just wondering if anyone has been asked the same and how to politely decline the hefty 7 hour shift I am disabled and I am getting back into the workforce after a 2 year break so a bit rusty with these situations! Thanks in advance

You've been out of the workforce for a two year break. It won't be easy getting back in, so investing 7 hours of your time surely has to be worth doing, paid or not?

Dakta

Im on the fence, any work should be rewarded and if the business wants some help to the degree where they want to try people out paying people for their time should be part of the hiring budget

but im principled to the point of being fantasist